Kids in Peril: The Galilee's Plight
Child Nutrition Worsening in Gaza, According to UNICEF Report
Gaza City/Tel Aviv (zerf) - The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate, putting children at grave risk due to malnutrition and unsanitary conditions, according to UNICEF. In May, more than 5,119 kids aged six months to five years in the war-ravaged coastal strip were treated for acute malnutrition, representing a 50% increase from April and a staggering 150% jump from February.
Daily Struggle to Survive: 112 Kids a Day
A total of 636 infants suffered from severe acute malnutrition, the most critical form.These young lives urgently needed residential care, yet clean water, healthcare, and treatment resources were in short supply within the troubled Gaza Strip, UNICEF reports. "In the span of just 150 days—from the beginning of the year to the end of May—16,736 children in Gaza required treatment for malnutrition, averaging out to 112 children per day," said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Deadly Cycle of Hunger and Sickness
When malnutrition and illness coexist, a vicious cycle ensues. "Undernourished children are highly susceptible to severe illnesses such as acute diarrhea. Conversely, acute and protracted diarrhea exacerbates health issues and contributes to malnutrition," UNICEF explains.
UNICEF demands that all parties to the on-going conflict end hostilities, protect civilians, especially children, respect international humanitarian law and human rights, ensure immediate humanitarian aid delivery, and free all hostages in Israel.
The Gaza conflict erupted with Islamic extremists' attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in around 1,200 deaths and more than 250 hostages taken to Gaza. Since then, Israel's military has been engaged in a constant battle against Hamas.
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The rise in child malnutrition in Gaza is a dire, worsening humanitarian crisis caused by multiple, interconnected factors, resulting in devastating health effects and a critical need for immediate action.
Root Causes in Gaza
- Blockades and Siege: Since March 2, 2025, a total siege and blockade have been imposed on Gaza, severely curtailing access to food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid.
- Conflict and Hostilities: The resurgence of violence by Israeli forces starting March 18, 2025, has intensified the crisis by destroying infrastructure, displacing families, and further limiting access to food and medical care.
- Reduced Aid Distribution: Prior to the siege, a significant reduction in humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza in late 2024 led to a sharp surge in malnutrition rates. Temporary partial lifting of restrictions during a ceasefire (January 19 to early March 2025) saw some improvements, but the siege reversed those gains.
- Scarcity of Water and Medical Care: Severely acute malnutrition (SAM) requires extensive, regular treatment, safe water, and medical care, resources in short supply due to infrastructure damage and deficits resulting from the blockade and conflict.
Effects of Malnutrition on Children in Gaza
- Rising Admissions: In just five months from January to May 2025, an average of 112 kids each day required malnutrition treatment, culminating in over 16,700 children.
- Severe Acute Malnutrition: Among those, 636 children suffered from SAM, representing a 146% increase since February 2025.
- Child Mortality Risk: The malnutrition crisis is contributing to child deaths, with estimates suggesting that 71,000 children under five could face acute malnutrition in the coming months and one out of five of those kids facing SAM. The entire population is at risk of famine due to the ensuing food insecurity.
- Visible and Invisible Signs: Many children exhibit visible symptoms such as sunken eyes and extreme emaciation, while many more are malnourished without apparent physical signs, indicating a widespread, undetected nutritional crisis.
Ongoing Efforts to Combat Malnutrition
- UNICEF and Partners: UNICEF, managing nutrition centers throughout Gaza, is providing treatment to malnourished kids despite immense challenges.
- Humanitarian Monitoring: Organizations like Medecins du Monde are closely tracking malnutrition rates, providing vital data to steer the response and advocating for humanitarian access.
- Ceasefire and Aid Access Calls: Medical professionals, humanitarian agencies, and international bodies are urgently calling for a ceasefire and the lifting of blockades to allow unhindered humanitarian aid, food, and medical supplies into Gaza to halt the continuing decline and famine.
- Emergency Care: Efforts focus on treating acute malnutrition cases with therapeutic foods and medical care, but these attempts are greatly challenged by shortages and ongoing conflict.
- In addition to the ongoing crisis, mental health concerns and nutritional deficiencies are escalating in children living in Gaza, according to reports.
- The scientific community is highly concerned about the long-term effects of malnutrition, mental health deterioration, and inadequate healthcare in children growing up in such conditions.
- Political efforts to end hostilities, increase humanitarian aid, and ensure the safety and well-being of children in Gaza are gaining momentum, spurred by general news coverage and advocacy from health-and-wellness organizations worldwide.
- Science and politics might intersect in the development of innovative solutions to the nutritional crisis in Gaza, including alternative food sources, mental health support programs, and policies to protect vulnerable populations during war-and-conflicts situations.
